Make France Great Again-Chapter 195 We Are All Patriots

"Your Majesty, I believe Mr. James Rothschild is certainly eager to contribute to the country and alleviate its burdens! Since their family has produced a traitor, they naturally have to pay a certain price for it!"

Count Algou’s words revealed a hint of schadenfreude.

For a "patriot," weakening Rothschild Bank’s influence on France and expanding the power of French "domestic" bankers (Count Algou was actually a Jewish-descended banker, only he was excommunicated from Judaism for not observing the faith) is something every patriotic nationalist should do.

Of course, some "bumps and bruises" were unavoidable during the process of weakening Rothschild Bank. For instance, after the Northern Railway Company under Baron James Rothschild was heavily shorted, tens of thousands of the middle class were forced to sell their stocks at a loss... But overall, Count Algou was indeed a patriot with a sense of national pride. He dedicated his life to maintaining the "independence and autonomy" of the French banking community.

In Count Algou’s view, a "true" nationalist should have the resolve to prefer exploitation by their country’s own bankers rather than being utilized by foreign forces.

Otherwise, one could not be considered a true nationalist.

"Those who do wrong must pay the price; this is an eternal truth!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded empathetically, responding righteously, "The French Government must not wrong any good person, nor let any bad person go!"

"I believe that under Your Majesty’s leadership, the French Government will certainly reach a new peak! Sweeping away the decadence brought by two generations of the Bourbon Dynasty." Count Algou also praised vigorously.

Jerome Bonaparte’s martial law actions and the Legislative Assembly’s inaction made Count Algou see through the weaknesses of the Legislative Assembly.

A weak Legislative Assembly was indeed beneficial for the decisions of French banks, but capital expansion required a strongman.

Currently, the capital within France was saturated, and they, having nowhere to expand, urgently needed a channel for external expansion.

However, the shackles brought by the Holy Alliance not only limited France’s national power but also restricted their steps for capital expansion. Whenever they wished to expand their capital, foreign forces would take out the so-called "Holy Alliance program" to preach.

It can be said that apart from a few international bankers like Rothschild, who had branches in every European country, other French banking capitals encountered local resistance after entering other countries.

It’s hard to say whether the Rothschild family was orchestrating fights behind the scenes; a monopoly only needed one bank.

The French Bank needed a political strongman, someone to take a tough stance and break the shackles the Holy Alliance brought to France, allowing French capital to expand externally without restraint.

After weighing the pros and cons, the French banking forces represented by Count Algou naturally supported President Jerome Bonaparte.

Compared to a single cheap bullet, capital with no place to expand could only rot in hand, which seemed more fatal.

The banking forces represented by Count Algou were eager for Jerome Bonaparte to complete his coronation, and they could even create an appearance of "Parisians not missing the French Empire."

Though this phenomenon was prevalent in the rural areas of France, the people of Paris, committed to anti-imperialism and anti-feudalism, were not overly enthusiastic about the imperial system.

Of course, it was impossible to expect Parisians, who had experienced the June counter-revolutionary coup, to sacrifice themselves for anti-imperial and anti-feudal causes.

The most revolutionary working class had been crushed, so how could the petty bourgeoisie achieve great things?

"Count Algou, I hope you can visit the detention center on my behalf!" Jerome Bonaparte ordered Count Algou.

Count Algou understood Jerome Bonaparte’s meaning, which was nothing more than using him as a mouthpiece to get James Rothschild to agree to the President’s terms.

"To serve France, I will not hesitate!" Count Algou also responded officiously to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Oh, and this!" Jerome Bonaparte took a letter from the drawer and handed it to Count Algou: "Please give this to Baron James Rothschild and tell him that France is proposing to form a ’Liberal Alliance’ with Britain!"

Liberal Alliance? The President intends... If that’s the case, then it is truly...

Count Algou instantly connected the Liberal Alliance to the possibility that the President might take action against the Russian Empire.

Thinking that the shackles brought by the Holy Alliance to France would collapse due to France declaring war on the Russian Empire, Count Algou felt an unprecedented relief, and even the air seemed exceptionally fresh.

This relief was short-lived, and Count Algou recalled His Majesty the Emperor’s past failure in Moscow; France could not endure another failure.

Taking the letter, Count Algou glanced at the envelope, which bore no name, so the sender was unknown.

Putting the letter in his pocket, Count Algou anxiously asked, "Your Majesty, forgive my presumptuous question! Is your alliance with the Kingdom of Britain intended to take action against that Eastern Empire?"

The Eastern Empire Count Algou referred to was, of course, the Russian Empire.

"Yes and no!" Jerome Bonaparte gave an ambiguous answer.

"Hmm?" Count Algou looked at Jerome Bonaparte in confusion.

"I will not initiate any war in the coming years. The alliance with the Kingdom of Britain is merely to enable us to use Britain’s power freely in accomplishing certain tasks!" Jerome Bonaparte explained to Count Algou.

The alliance with Britain is only a temporary measure. At this stage, neither France nor Britain has the resolve to fight a war against the Russian Empire.

The Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia, these destined adversaries, also haven’t completely broken with the Russian Empire. The most important thing is to maintain domestic stability by leveraging the prestige of alliance.

As for whether we can reach a consensus with Britain on the Russian Empire issue, it will depend on what the circumstances say.

"That’s even better!" Count Algou also complimented.

"By the way! Mr. Earl, I wonder what your thoughts are on the gold mines in California?" Jerome Bonaparte casually asked Count Algou about the gold mines in California.

"An exquisite deception!" Count Algou immediately responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Oh?" Jerome Bonaparte looked at the banker with interest upon hearing the word "deception" from Count Algou’s mouth.

"Your Majesty, actually, the gold mines in California are not as numerous as reported! Certain interested parties have seized this opportunity to portray it as a home of gold, as if one could easily pick up a bar of gold there." Count Algou explained to Jerome Bonaparte.

In fact, as early as the first reports of gold being found in California, Count Algou had dispatched a survey team to California for exploration.

The survey team concluded that while there is gold in California, it is far less abundant than reported.

Count Algou instantly realized it was a deception. Adhering to a cautious medieval financial view, he immediately abandoned the idea of gold mining, considering it nothing more than a ridiculous scam.

"Mr. Earl! Perhaps your judgment is incorrect?" Jerome Bonaparte responded to Count Algou with a smile.

"Your Majesty, do you mean..." Count Algou looked at Jerome Bonaparte in astonishment.

Could it be that the President also sent people to survey California?

Jerome Bonaparte, still smiling, took out a letter and pushed it in front of Count Algou: "Open it and take a look!"

Count Algou cautiously opened the letter, which stated that they had discovered a gold mine in the California region and were setting up a mining company.

The letter was signed by Jerome Parsons.

Jerome Bonaparte explained to Count Algou: "Last March, I sent a survey team to California to explore for gold! Unexpectedly, they indeed found a gold mine!"

"Ah!" Count Algou felt a bit ashamed, having confidently assured the President that it was a scam just moments ago.

Yet, the President had soon discovered a gold mine.

Count Algou was unaware that sending a survey team to California to explore for gold was a leisure move Jerome Bonaparte made in early 1848.

Jerome Bonaparte had seen some data indicating that in 1845, the total global gold production was 1.6 million ounces, more than half from the Russian Empire. By 1855, the total had risen to 6.4 million ounces worldwide.

Half of this gold came from the California region and the other half from Australia.

Driven by the desire for wealth and power, exploring for gold in California became a necessary endeavor.

Only by ensuring that France had sufficient gold could they assist their cousin in stabilizing France when needed.

Only when their cousin’s throne was secure could they maintain stability.

Thus, he persuaded his sister Mathilde and father Prince Old Jerome to invest 100,000 francs by promising Jerome Parsons as a member of the House of Bonaparte.

Adding Mathilde’s contribution of 200,000 francs, they formed a survey team, and his father also sent his grandson, Jerome Parsons, whom Jerome Bonaparte had never met in the United States, to serve as the team leader.

After the cousin’s death from cholera, he had to take on the cousin’s unfinished business, and the survey team issue was pushed to the back of Jerome Bonaparte’s mind.

It wasn’t until a recent letter crossed the ocean into Jerome Bonaparte’s hands that he remembered he had a survey team.

The gold surveying team did not disappoint, discovering a gold mine under Jerome Parsons’ leadership.

Currently, they have hired American cowboys to seal off the area and established a mining company. As long as additional funds are injected, mining can begin. From the letter, the gold mine’s output is unquestionably substantial.

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